A week of quiet talks between the NHL and the Players’ Association crumbled into disharmony yesterday, with the league accusing union leaders of not fully disclosing its proposals to players, the union calling that suggestion false, and no clear signs that progress has been made on the core financial issues separating the sides.

Rancor has returned to the collective-bargaining process as the NHL lockout hits its 56th day today.

“I don’t know what the next step is,” union executive director Donald Fehr told reporters in New York. “I don’t know what will happen next. There is still a lot of work to do.”

The NHL gave the players a proposal yesterday that would have guaranteed them their existing contracts even with an immediate 50-50 split of hockey revenues. The plan called for players’ salaries to be deferred and paid back, with interest, by the second and third years of the agreement.

The union rejected that proposal, with Fehr telling reporters that — despite what the NHL said — it would not guarantee players their existing contracts, some signed just hours before the last agreement expired.

The players, according to reports, don’t think they should be paid less than a full 82-game share no matter how much of the 2012-13 season is canceled, because the owners initiated the lockout. A full 82-game regular season is no longer possible. The season was supposed to open more than a month ago, and so far, more than 300 games have been canceled.

If progress has been made on the players’ demands for increased revenue sharing, contract limits and scheduling issues — Fehr said there has been modest progress this week — the sides are still far apart, if only philosophically, on major money issues.

And that was the good news of the day.

Fehr sent a message to players early Thursday updating them on negotiations. The memo, obtained by Canadian sports network TSN and NBC Sports, did not include the entirety of the offer, the league said, specifically its willingness to honor existing contracts.

An NHL source, speaking with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, suggested that Fehr was not fully informing the players, a serious charge in labor negotiations. Fehr denied the charge, and players throughout the NHL — who have raved about the union’s newfound transparency — came to his defense.

“That is totally and utterly false,” said Montreal winger Mathieu Darche, who has been highly involved in the process.

Cannon Fodder Podcast

Cannon Fodder is the podcast from The Dispatch sports team covering the Blue Jackets. Tune in for lively discussions about the ta and the rest of the NHL. Subscribe to the show through its RSS feed or iTunes.

Commentary from the Dispatch

Columnist Michael Arace shares his thoughts on the Blue Jackets and the NHL.